


A New Beginning

by tiifalockhart



Category: Compilation of Final Fantasy VII
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-03-02
Updated: 2021-03-02
Packaged: 2021-03-15 03:53:41
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 911
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29802516
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/tiifalockhart/pseuds/tiifalockhart
Summary: Genesis finds himself lost and guilty after the events of Crisis Core. He finds it hard to continue on. All it takes for him to begin healing is a gentle reminder from an old friend.
Relationships: Aerith Gainsborough/Genesis Rhapsodos
Kudos: 3





	A New Beginning

It had been years since the events leading up to Sephiroth’s death. The guilt and shame that had formed from his sins finally caught up to him. The world around him had lost all meaning, every day went by as he rotted away, just as Sephiroth had said at their last meeting. He knew that he shouldn’t exist anymore, after the chaos he caused because of his deeply rooted hatred and jealousy. Throwing away his life sounded more appealing than trying to continue living with the dread that resided on his soul… If he even had one. It wasn’t appealing to continue living in the shadows, hiding from humanity because of what he did. He deserved to hide, to rot, to disappear.

So, why was it that he was on his way to the church in the slums? He never considered himself religious, there was no logical reason for him to be dragging himself there. There were so many reasons to stop himself now. He shouldn’t be seen by anyone. Sector 5 was full of those Shinra Lapdo-… Turks. It was dangerous for him to be here.

Yet, he couldn’t stop himself. It felt as if something were calling out to him, and he was merely following the voice. His eyes were glued to the ground the entire trip, his long hair hiding the ashamed expression that he wore constantly now. It was a curious predicament that he found himself in now, as he battled internally whether he should actually enter the church yet. His mind screamed at him to turn and run, to hide, to do anything else instead of standing here.

He hadn’t realized his fists were balled up tightly, or that he was holding his breath when an unfamiliar voice rang in his ears. “Heya… Are you okay?” The voice called out to him softly, the smooth sound simultaneously causing him to panic and calm down at the same time. He whipped his head over to the source of the sound, noticing a younger girl staring up at him, her vivid green eyes holding intense curiosity. He opened his mouth to speak, but found himself frozen and speechless… In fact, he couldn’t remember the last time he had used his voice. Panic and surprise-filled his eyes immediately, causing the girl to lift her hands in defense. “It’s okay, I’m not going to do anything.” She said, her voice calm and gentle. Her arms moved back down to her sides, which is when Genesis noticed the small flower basket in her hand. Flowers… In Midgar?

“Would you like to come inside?” The girl asked, not expecting an answer as she opened the door for him. Finally, he ripped himself out of his frozen position and stepped inside, silently watching as the girl ran over to the flower patch growing from the wood of the church. She immediately began to tend to them, humming a quiet tune as she worked. “Would you like to come sit with me?” She asked, glancing back at him from her squatting position. Hesitantly, he nodded and made slow and measured steps towards her, still slightly confused about what was happening. The girl smiled at him warmly as he sat, causing a warm feeling to form in his chest. “My name is Aerith, will you tell me yours?” She introduced herself, sitting next to him carefully. 

Now, this was the hard part. He struggled with gathering the courage to tell her his real name. His name had been long forgotten, he had stopped using it after that last incident with Zack. Quietly, he stared at the flowers in front of them, furrowing his brows. “…Genesis.” He muttered quietly, feeling an unfamiliar abundance of anxiety form inside of him. What if she knew him? What if she hated him? Would she turn him in? This was bad, maybe he should go-

“I like that name.” Aerith responded simply, going back to her humming as she delicately brushed her fingers over the petals of the flowers. For the first time in a really long time, Genesis felt… Relieved. He looked over at the girl, hiding the surprise and relief in his eyes as he moved to sit closer to the flowers. 

“Thank you.” He whispered in response, still slightly shocked at her reaction. She didn’t hate him, she didn’t want him to go away. She said… She liked his name. The warm feeling quickly came back as the girl smiled at him again, nodding happily. 

“Of course! Do you like flowers?” She asked, an innocent tone to her voice. Flowers..? He felt his voice caught in his throat again. 

“I haven’t… Seen one in a long time.” Genesis confessed quietly, looking down at the flower bed in front of him. Aerith smiled and lifted a flower towards him.

“Flowers have meanings, you know? This one means new beginnings.” She whispered, placing it in his hand. Genesis didn’t try to hide the shocked expression on his face this time. “Whatever you’re going through, it isn’t permanent. Things will get better.” Aerith continued, cupping his cheek comfortingly. 

And for the first time, Genesis felt the weight of the world disappear as he stared back at Aerith. Maybe she was right… What he felt wasn’t permanent. Maybe it was time to come to terms with his sins, maybe ask for forgiveness instead of succumbing to the pressure of them. He blinked back tears, furrowing his brows and nodding. “Thank you.”


End file.
